U.S. patent application number 10/958517 was filed with the patent office on 2006-05-25 for protective footwear and method of forming the same.
Invention is credited to Jamie Huggins.
Application Number | 20060107444 10/958517 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36148885 |
Filed Date | 2006-05-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060107444 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Huggins; Jamie |
May 25, 2006 |
Protective footwear and method of forming the same
Abstract
Formfitting footwear including a stretchable sleeve to be worn
on a human foot, the sleeve having a first end and a second end
opposite the first end. Toe openings are disposed at the first end
of the elastic sleeve. A footpad is disposed at the first end of
the elastic sleeve adjacent the toe openings, the footpad including
an inner layer of at least one of shock absorbing material and
cushioning material and an outer layer that contacts a ground
surface.
Inventors: |
Huggins; Jamie; (Waltham,
MA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
AMSTER, ROTHSTEIN & EBENSTEIN LLP
90 PARK AVENUE
NEW YORK
NY
10016
US
|
Family ID: |
36148885 |
Appl. No.: |
10/958517 |
Filed: |
October 5, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
2/239 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41B 11/02 20130101;
A41B 2400/60 20130101; A41B 11/004 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
002/239 |
International
Class: |
A41B 11/00 20060101
A41B011/00; A43B 17/00 20060101 A43B017/00 |
Claims
1. Formfitting footwear comprising: a stretchable sleeve to be worn
on a human foot, the sleeve having a first end and a second end
opposite the first end; toe openings disposed at the first end of
the elastic sleeve; a footpad disposed at the first end of the
elastic sleeve adjacent the toe openings, the footpad comprising an
inner layer of at least one of shock absorbing material and
cushioning material and an outer layer that contacts a ground
surface.
2. The formfitting footwear of claim 1, further comprising an
elastic portion formed around the second end of the stretchable
sleeve that prevents the stretchable sleeve from falling towards a
wearer's toes.
3. The formfitting footwear of claim 1, wherein the inner layer of
the footpad is made of a foam material.
4. The formfitting footwear of claim 3, wherein the foam material
is polyurethane foam.
5. The formfitting footwear of claim 1, wherein the inner layer of
the footpad is made of a gel material.
6. The formfitting footwear of claim 1, wherein the thickness of
the inner layer is in the range of about 0.25 mm to about 3.0
mm.
7. The formfitting footwear of claim 1, wherein the outer layer is
made of a material from the group consisting of smooth leather,
suede leather, synthetic leather, moldable polymers and
elastomers.
8. The formfitting footwear of claim 1, wherein the outer layer is
textured to enhance traction.
9. The formfitting footwear of claim 8, wherein the textured
footpad comprises one or more of the following: ridges, grooves and
dimpling.
10. The formfitting footwear of claim 1, further comprising a toe
piece that forms the toe openings.
11. The formfitting footwear of claim 1, wherein the footpad
further comprises a moisture-absorbing layer.
12. The formfitting footwear of claim 1, wherein the stretchable
sleeve comprises a cut-out portion to which the toe portion is
attached.
13. The formfitting footwear of claim 1, wherein the stretchable
sleeve comprises a cut-out portion to which the footpad is
attached.
14. A method of forming formfitting footwear comprising: providing
a sheet of stretchable material, the sheet having a first
longitudinal end portion, a second longitudinal end portion, a
first lateral end portion and a second lateral end portion; forming
toe openings at the first longitudinal end portion of the sheet;
attaching a footpad to the first longitudinal end portion of the
sheet adjacent to the toe openings; folding the sheet such that the
first lateral end portion overlaps the second lateral end portion
with the footpad disposed between the first and second lateral end
portions; permanently attaching the first lateral end portion to
the second lateral end portion so as to form a sleeve with the
footpad disposed within the sleeve; and turning the sleeve inside
out such that the footpad is disposed outside the sleeve.
15. The method of claim 14, further comprising attaching an elastic
portion to the second longitudinal end portion of the sheet.
16. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of forming toe
openings comprises attaching a toe piece to the sheet.
17. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of attaching a footpad
comprises attaching to the sheet an inner layer of at least one of
shock-absorbing material and cushioning material and an outer layer
that contacts a ground surface during use.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of attaching a footpad
further comprises attaching to the sheet a moisture-absorbing
layer.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present disclosure relates to protective footwear for
use in dance and other athletic activities.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The need for protective and functional footwear intended for
specific applications is well-known. Just as sports such as
basketball and football place different demands on the human foot
and thus require specialized footwear, different forms of dance and
athletics also require specialized footwear. For example, ballet
requires specially designed toe shoes, jazz-style dance requires
specially-designed character shoes, and tap dance requires
specially modified tap shoes.
[0003] Unlike many more traditional forms of dance, modern dance
requires rapid, abrupt and often complex shifts in body position,
center of gravity, directional momentum and weight distribution.
Included in these movements are forceful turns, spins and other
such movements that can cause friction burns, tearing, slivers,
blisters and other foot problems. In addition, modern dancers--like
other dancers--risk serious injury if their foot should slip on the
dance floor or if they should turn their ankle. However, given the
aesthetic requirements of their art, most modern dancers currently
opt to dance barefoot and tolerate the damage done to their
feet.
[0004] Earlier, unsuccessful attempts at providing such footwear
range from the use of thongs that were wrapped around the foot to
dancers cutting up nylon stockings and tying them to their feet
before each performance. Footwear currently available for use in
modern dance includes a "sole" that is secured to the foot by an
ankle strap and toe loops. Other footwear products cover only the
ball of the foot and do not have an ankle strap. Such products
attach to the foot with toe loops and an elastic band that crosses
over the bridge of the foot. However, these known footwear products
are not securely bound to the foot, and thus have a tendency to
cause tearing of the skin, particularly between the great and index
toes. For this reason, most modern dancers do not use this type of
footwear. A major drawback of all the above approaches is that such
footwear does not provide all of the necessary protective and
safety benefits, not are they durable and minimally disruptive to a
dancer's performance.
[0005] Accordingly, there is a need for dance footwear that
protects feet from friction burns, tearing, slivers, blisters and
other foot problems commonly associated with dance movements, while
also providing beneficial traction, maneuverability and an
inconspicuous appearance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] Formfitting footwear according to an exemplary embodiment of
the invention includes a stretchable sleeve to be worn on a human
foot, the sleeve having a first end and a second end opposite the
first end. Toe openings are disposed at the first end of the
elastic sleeve. A footpad is disposed at the first end of the
elastic sleeve adjacent the toe openings, the footpad comprising an
inner layer of at least one of a shock absorbing material and a
cushioning material and an outer layer that contacts a ground
surface.
[0007] In at least one embodiment of the invention, an elastic
piece is disposed around the second end of the sleeve.
[0008] In at least one embodiment of the invention, the footpad
further includes a moisture-absorbing layer.
[0009] A method of forming formfitting footwear according to an
embodiment of the invention includes providing a sheet of
stretchable material, the sheet having a first longitudinal end
portion, a second longitudinal end portion, a first lateral end
portion and a second lateral end portion. Toe openings are formed
at the first longitudinal end portion of the sheet. A footpad is
attached to the first longitudinal end portion of the sheet
adjacent to the toe openings. The sheet is folded such that the
first lateral end portion overlaps the second lateral end portion
with the footpad disposed between the first and second lateral end
portions. The first lateral end portion is permanently attached to
the second lateral end portion so as to form a sleeve with the
footpad disposed within the sleeve. The sleeve is turned inside out
such that the footpad is disposed outside the sleeve.
[0010] These and other features of this invention are described in,
or are apparent from, the following detailed description of various
exemplary embodiments of this invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] Various exemplary embodiments of the invention will be
described in detail, with reference to the following figures,
wherein:
[0012] FIG. 1 shows protective footwear according to an exemplary
embodiment of the invention placed on a wearer's feet;
[0013] FIG. 2 is an exploded view showing various components of the
protective footwear according to an exemplary embodiment of the
invention with the sleeve in a spread-out configuration;
[0014] FIG. 3 is an exploded view showing various components of the
protective footwear according to an another exemplary embodiment of
the invention with the sleeve in a spread-out configuration;
[0015] FIG. 4 is an exploded view showing various components of the
protective footwear according to an another exemplary embodiment of
the invention with the sleeve in a spread-out configuration;
[0016] FIG. 5 shows the sleeve of FIG. 4 spread out and patterned
to include a second cut-out portion;
[0017] FIG. 6 shows protective footwear according to another
exemplary embodiment of the invention;
[0018] FIG. 7 shows a step of a method of forming formfitting
footwear according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention;
and
[0019] FIG. 8 shows another step of a method of forming formfitting
footwear according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0020] The protective footwear according to exemplary embodiments
of the present invention includes an elastic sleeve having toe
holes and a footpad that protects a wearer's foot from blisters,
burns, cuts, scrapes and other injuries commonly associated with
athletic movements, and that also functions to absorb shock to the
bottom of the foot that occurs during, for example, leaping
maneuvers. In exemplary embodiments, the protective footwear of the
present invention may include ankle support and/or protective
material surrounding the toes openings. It should be appreciated
that, although the protective footwear of the present invention is
particularly applicable to dance, it may also be used in other
activities, such as, for example, martial arts, pilates, yoga or
gymnastics.
[0021] FIG. 1 shows protective footwear according to an exemplary
embodiment of the invention placed on a wearer's feet. The
protective footwear 1 includes a sleeve 10 that is preferably made
of an elastic material so as to conform and fit snugly around the
foot. An elastic piece 12 is provided around an open end of the
sleeve 10 to ensure that the sleeve 10 does not fall towards the
toes during movement. Toe openings 14 are provided at the opposite
end of the sleeve 10 to allow the toes to move freely and contact
the ground surface. As shown in FIG. 1, a footpad 16 is disposed on
the bottom portions of the sleeve 10 near the ball of the foot. As
will be described in more detail below, the footpad protects the
wearer's foot from injury by providing a barrier between the skin
and the floor and by absorbing shock, and also provides
traction.
[0022] FIG. 2 is an exploded view showing various components of the
protective footwear according to an exemplary embodiment of the
invention with the sleeve in a spread-out configuration. As shown
in FIG. 2, the sleeve 10 is cut out of or otherwise formed from
elastic material so as to have the appropriately placed toe
openings 14 formed in an upper portion 11 of the sleeve 10. The
elastic material used to form the sleeve 10 is preferably lycra or
spandex. The footpad 16 is attached to a lower portion 13 of the
sleeve 10 preferably by sewing. In the present embodiment of the
invention, the footpad 16 is a multi-layer structure made up of a
ground-contact layer 18, a shock-absorbing and/or cushioning layer
20 and an optional moisture absorbing layer 22. The various layers
of the footpad 16 may be laminated together by, for example,
adhesive.
[0023] The ground-contact layer 18 is preferably made of a durable
material that provides adequate friction with the ground surface.
Suitable material for the ground contact layer 18 include smooth
leather, suede leather, synthetic leather, moldable polymers,
elastomers and synthetic rubber materials, such as neoprene. The
ground-contact layer 18 may also be textured to enhance traction,
such as by forming ridges, grooves and/or dimplings in the outer
surface of the ground-contact layer 18. The thickness of the
ground-contact layer 18 is preferably in the range of about 0.25 mm
to about 2.0 mm.
[0024] The shock-absorbing and/or cushioning layer 20 is preferably
placed between the ground-contact layer 18 and the optional
moisture-absorbing layer 22. Depending on the structure and
materials used, the shock-absorbing and/or cushioning layer 22 may
have the ability to cushion and/or absorb forces exerted on the
wearer's feet during, for example, dance movements such as leaps
and twirls. The shock-absorbing and/or absorbing layer 22 assists
in reducing foot pain and injury. Suitable materials for the
shock-absorbing and/or absorbing layer 22 include foam materials,
such as, for example, polyurethane foam, hydrophilic urethane foam,
polyethylene foam, closed cell foams, open cell foams, ethylene
propylene rubber (EPDM), or gel-like materials, such as, for
example, non-silicon polymer gel. The thickness of the
shock-absorbing layer 18 is preferably in the range of about 0.25
mm to about 3.0 mm.
[0025] The moisture-absorbing layer 22 is preferably placed closest
to the wearer's foot to enhance sweat capability. The
moisture-absorbing layer is an optional layer, and thus, in other
exemplary embodiments of the invention, the footpad 16 may only
include the ground-contact layer 18 and the shock-absorbing layer
20. The moisture absorbing layer 22 is preferably made of materials
such as, for example, Ultralore.RTM. or nylon and polyester fabrics
made with up to 50% load of ReFresh fibers, and has a thickness in
the range of about 0.25 mm to about 2.0 mm.
[0026] The elastic piece 12 is preferably in a band shape and is
attached to the end of the sleeve 10 furthest from the wearer's
toes. The elastic piece 12 is attached to the sleeve 10 by sewing
and/or adhesive and is made of, for example, woven or knit
elastic.
[0027] FIG. 3 is an exploded view showing various components of the
protective footwear according to an another exemplary embodiment of
the invention with the sleeve in a spread-out configuration. The
present embodiment is substantially the same as the previous
embodiment except for the provision of a separate toe piece 32 that
protects the forefoot of the wearer and provides toe openings. As
shown in FIG. 3, the toe piece 32 is attached to a cutout portion
30 of the sleeve 10 formed in the upper portion 11 of the sleeve
10. Preferably the toe piece 32 is formed of a material that
provides sufficient support so that the portions adjacent to or
between the toe holes do not tear during intensive use, and also
sufficient comfort so as not to induce blistering or tearing of the
skin adjacent to or between the toes. Appropriate materials for the
toe piece 32 may be, for example, neoprene, powermesh or tricot
spandex.
[0028] FIG. 4 is an exploded view showing various components of the
protective footwear according to an another exemplary embodiment of
the invention with the sleeve in a spread-out configuration. The
present embodiment is substantially the same as the first-described
embodiment except for the provision of a second cut-out portion 34
formed in a lower portion 13 of the sleeve 10 that accommodates the
footpad 16. FIG. 5 shows the sleeve 10 spread out and patterned to
include the second cut-out portion 34. The footpad 16 is attached
to the cut-out portion 30 preferably by sewing. In other
embodiments of the invention, the sleeve 10 may include both the
first cut-out portion 30 to accommodate the toe piece 32 and the
second cut-out portion 34 to accommodate the footpad 16.
[0029] FIG. 6 shows protective footwear according to another
exemplary embodiment of the invention. The present embodiment is
substantially the same as the previous embodiments except that the
sleeve 10 extends over the ankle of a user. Such a construction
provides increased lateral stability and support.
[0030] In a method of forming the protective footwear according to
an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the sleeve 10 is first
formed from a lycra sheet in a spread out configuration as shown in
FIG. 2. Cut-out portions 30 and 34 may be formed in the lycra sheet
to accommodate the toe piece 32 and the footpad 16, respectively.
Alternatively, toe holes 14 may be formed directly in the sheet
instead of using a separate toe piece 16. The footpad 16 is then
attached to the lower portion 13 of the sleeve 10 and the lycra is
trimmed around the footpad 16. The elastic piece 12 is then
attached to the end of the sleeve 10 furthest from the wearer's
toes. As shown in FIG. 7, the upper portion 11 of the sleeve 10 is
folded over the lower portion 13 of the sleeve 10 such that the
footpad 16 is disposed within the void defined by the upper portion
11 and lower portion 13. Then, as shown in FIG. 8, the upper
portion 11 and the lower portion 12 are joined together around
their respective edges, and the product is turned inside out to
result in the finished protective footwear 10.
[0031] It should be appreciated that the protective footwear
according to various exemplary embodiments of the invention may be
made by any other suitable process, such as one in which the sleeve
with the toe holes are formed as a unitary construction using
conventional molding processes. Alternatively, the upper and lower
portions of the sleeve may be two entirely separate pieces which
are later sewn together.
[0032] Now that the preferred embodiments of the present invention
have been shown and described in detail, various modifications and
improvement thereon will become readily apparent to those skilled
in the art. Accordingly, the spirit and scope of the present
invention is to be construed broadly and limited only by the
appended claims, and not by the foregoing specification.
* * * * *